Contents

This unit, and the 8th Armored Infantry Division as a whole, was first formed by distinguished officers who pioneered Armored Infantry tactics and strategies, most notably their famous deployment method of "Burning In".

During one of its most recent conflicts, the Outer Rim War, the 1st Recon Platoon sustained surprisingly heavy casualties in the opening stages of the war, and went through changes of command three times. It was first commanded by Sergeant Hawthorne, but command was then transferred to then-Sergeant Blackburn after Hawthorne was killed by an enemy assault mech. During this time, the unit also received two new reinforcements to recover from other casualties sustained. After only two missions, command of the full-strength platoon was transferred over to then-Sergeant Alex Corde, who went on to command the unit until the end of the conflict with the Arm of Orion.

The platoon continues to be lead by now-Captain Alex Corde, with other platoon members having received significant promotions as well.

The 1st Recon Platoon utilizes the same tactics, weapons, and tools used by its parent unit, the 8th Armored Infantry Division. However, its elite status as a recon unit means that it is often sent ahead of the main assault units to conduct highly dangerous operations behind enemy lines, so self-sufficiency is often vital to accomplishing mission objectives. Its members specialize in assassinations and other elite combat roles, and the sight of them will send chills down even the most battle hardened opponent's spine.

Also befitting the elite status of its members, individual members of the 1st Recon Platoon display far higher combat abilities than other members of the 8th Armored Infantry Division, accomplishing feats that would likely shock most other Armored Infantry soldiers. This is shown in-game by Alex Corde single-handedly killing Commander Soren (who was inside a modified assault mech) and besting a mutated General Salvador, who possessed enhanced physical abilities and many years of ruthless combat knowledge gained from brutal expansion campaigns in his former service to the US Empire. In the Spear Crisis, only two members of 1st Recon Platoon, Corde and Matthews, carried out various missions across the frozen planet Boreas, including destroying an entire Arm base that housed a massive space fleet, clearing the way for a USIF invasion of Boreas.

The 1st Recon Platoon played a major role in the Outer Rim War, turning the tide of many a battle in favor of the United States Imperial Forces. Notably, its latest commander, Alex Corde, was responsible for killing the Arm rebel commander Soren.

The platoon also distinguished itself against a newer, more deadlier threat: the mutated army of supersoldiers known only as Orion's Spear. In a grueling campaign known as the Spear Crisis, members of 1st Recon played a crucial role in the dramatic USIF victory over the powerful and ruthless Orion's Spear. Its commander, Alex Corde was also responsible for killing the Spear commander himself, General Salvador.

The 1st Recon Platoon appears to consist of only four members. Therefore, its unit classification as a platoon is incorrect, as platoons vary in size from sixteen to fifty soldiers. It would be more appropriate to classify the 1st Recon Platoon as a fireteam, which has four members among special forces unit organizations.

In-game, the platoon's teammates are invincible, being able to resist extremely heavy enemy fire for an infinite amount of time. Something one can count on is that after any fight, one of the platoon's members will heal the player if his health is in dire straits, provided the player is nearby the aforementioned teammate.